Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Stogdon, Hubert

640696Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 54 — Stogdon, Hubert1898Edward Irving Carlyle

STOGDON, HUBERT (1692–1728), nonconformist divine, born at Bodicote, near Banbury in Oxfordshire, on 9 Jan. 1691–2, was eldest son of Robert Stogdon, presbyterian minister, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Hubert or Hubbard, nonconformist minister, who was disinherited by his father for his religious opinions. On the death of his father in 1697, Hubert went to reside with relatives in the neighbourhood of Exeter. He was first educated by the presbyterian minister at Withycombe Raleigh, and afterwards at the free school at Exeter. He entered the presbyterian ministry in 1715, and for a short time was chaplain to Sir John Davy, bart., at Creedy Park, near Crediton, and afterwards preached for two years at Thorverton, a village near Exeter. About this time, under the influence of Nicholas Billingsley [q. v.], he embraced semi-Arian views; and, as this occasioned some differences with his friends at Exeter, he accepted the pastorate of Wookey, near Wells, and was ordained at Shepton Mallett in August 1718. He remained in the neighbourhood preaching at Wookey and Coleford for seven years, and in 1721 married a gentlewoman of the neighbourhood. Towards the close of the period he became convinced of the expediency of baptism by immersion, and was rebaptised at Barbican in London. In spite of this, however, in 1724 he was called to Trowbridge in Wiltshire by a congregation of pædobaptists, and remained there until his death on 20 Jan. 1727–8. He was buried in the parish church. His wife survived him.

Stogdon was the author of: 1. ‘A Defence of the Caveat against the New Sect of Anabaptists,’ Exeter, 1714, 8vo. 2. ‘Seasonable Advice respecting the Present Disputes about the Holy Trinity,’ London, 1719, 8vo. 3. ‘Poems and Letters,’ ed. N. Billingsley, London, 1729, 8vo.

[Billingsley's Sermon on the Death of Hubert Stogdon.]